Windmill



Feb. 22, 1927.

J. OTOOLE WINDMILL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 20, 1925 INVENTOR:

JoH/v O' 7'oo1 J. OTOOLE WINDMILL I Filed Feb, 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2l IYVENTORJ John O'TooLE,

amwee Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

I barren sr rss Aris'r series.

JOHN-OTOOLE, OF LOS ANGELES; CALIFORNIA.

WINDMILL.

Application filed February 20, 1926. Serial No. 89,722;

This invention relatesito devicesused in controlling windmills.-

One of the objects of this invention is to providecontrolling meansforshifting and turning the vanes of the mill in certain relation to thewind wheel, by which the vanesing description and appended claims aswellas from the accompanying drawings, in wh1ch-.

Fig. 1 is a perspective somewhat diagrammatical illustration of awind-wheel embodying the invention, the vane-controlling irockets beingmerelv rou hl outlined and L .1 G J the connecting gears and pulleysbeing left oif'to make the interconnection between the vanes and theseveral sprockets distinct.

Fig. 2'is detail longitudinal sectional view of the shafts, sprocketsand gears.

Fig. 3 is a flat plan view of the cams in" form of slots in the tubularcontrol memher for setting and holding the sprockets 1n certainpositions.

Fig. 4 is .a diagrammatic side elevation of tliewind-wheel illustratingthe vanes in certain'. operative positions.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation illustrating the vanes inanother operative relation to one another.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation similar to the illustration inFig. 4, in which the vanes have been illustrated in inoperative andineffective positions.

From the illustrations in Figs. 4 and 6, it is readily understood how aforward or rearward turning of the vanes may tend and serve to bring andhold the vanes so as'to make the pressure of wind ineffective upon thewind-wheel. By providing means by which the vane 7 in Fig. 4 may bemoved to the position indicated at 8 in 6. and the vane 9 of Fig. l tothe position indicated at 10 in Fig. 6, and the vane 11 of Fig.

4 to the position indicated at'12 in Fig- 6; and the vane 13 of Fig. 4tto the position indicatedat, 14 in Fig. 6; wind whether coming from thefront orfromthe rear, has llttle or no efi'ect' upon the vanes in suchchanged pOSlt-1OI1S;Wl1l'l,' 111' the positions inwhich thevanesare-illustrated in= Figs. 4 and 5, windh-as a distinct effect in one andthe same direction in relation to therotating-of the wind-wheel uponeach and.

all of the vanes.

The wind-wheel is illustrated in a horizontalposition though avertical-arrangement may be ust as practical and effective;

In this horizontal Y arrangement, bases or:

uprights 15 are provided to turnably supportthe main shaft 16. Themain-arms 17 are firmly mounted on the mainshaft, to

transmit the motionfrom the arms to the;

main shaft, to be further transmitted by pulleys or other customarytransmitting;

means, a pulley 18being indicated on the end of 'the shaft 16 in 2; l

The arms 17 are provided with bearings 19 in which the vanes 7, 9,11,and 13areturn- The sprockets 2O serve to ably mounted. control therotating movements ofthe vanes.

Othersprockets 21are mounted in operative relation-to the main shaft 16,andare operatively connected with the sprockets on the vanes by suitableflexible means 22.;

The sprockets and connecting means are merely roughly outlined andindicated in Fig. 1, to illustrate their operative relation, slnce theirconstructive details are of 'little" The direct connection between themain arms 17 with the pulley 18 through the main shaft 16 is illustratedin Fig. 2. A gear 23 is also firmly mounted on the main shaft, totransmit the motion of the shaft to other gears 24, 25, and 26, andfurther to a coupling member 27. A sleeve 28 is provided withcorresponding coupling or engaging means 29, by which the motion of themain shaft 16 may be transmitted to this sleeve 28. The gears 24 and 25are pivotally. mounted in the arm 30, which in turn is a part of astationary sleeve 31. The statiouary sleeve 31 extends to the standardor base 15. The gear 26with the coupling member 27 is, turnably mountedon the stationary sleeve 31.

In operation, the rotating sleeve 28 is cou 2 unseen wind-wheel throughthe main shaft 16 and the arms 17.

To ell'ect a neutralizing of the wind-wheel, the rotating sleeve isdisengaged from the gears and thereby from the main shaft, and otherengaging or coupling means 33 on the op msite end of the sleeve 28 serveto hold the winduvheel in neutral positionby being brought intoengagement with the corresponding engaging means 3%, on. the stationarysleeve and base.

The neutralizing of the windwl1ecl is further effected by a shifting ofthe sprockets 21 in a rotating direction, so as to turn the vanes topositions in which they .ofi'er a minimum and equalized wind surface.The rotating sleeve id is for this reason and purpose provided withcurved slots of cam-like design, as indicated at 3&- in Fig. 3, intowhich inwardly ex tending lugs 011 the sprockets extend so as to becontrolled by these cams. The sprockets are mounted on a sleeve 36,which shittably and at the same time rotatably mounted on theirotatingsleeve :28. By a shifting ot the sprocket-carrying sleeve 2.1-6 the lugs35 are caused to move along the cams in the slots 3st so as to rotatethe SPI'OChIUtS to a limited extent. This limited rotating ot' thesprockets is designed in agreement with the illustrations of Figs. & and6, as er-tplained above, so that the vanes may be moved ton ward orrearward to such an extent that: wind has no elleet upon the vanes. Thedesign and form of the cams depends therefore entirely upon the extentto which the sprockets have to be turned or moved to assure aneutralizing. Any number of vanes can be controlled in this manner,though four have been indicated in the drawings as described above.

Though two coupling members each on the opposite ends of the sleeve 28as indicated at 29 and 32, it must be understood that this too is merelya matter of detailing, and it may actually be found more practical andconvenient to provide only one coupling JllOIlilJtLUttCll on theopposite ends, so as and in order to avoid mistakes in setting the vanesin their relation to the main arms It"? and the main wind-wheel, since,with two coupling members it might be possible that the vanes be setunintentiomilly to reverse the moremel'lt of the wind-wheel.

.llaving thus described my invention, I claim:

it. in a windmill, in combination with rotatory vanes and theircontrolling means including sprockets, gears to transmit 17otatingmotion to the sprockets, and cam-like engaging members between the gearsand the sprockets whereby the sprockets may be set to and held ininoperative position so as to control said vanes in a similar manner.:3. lln a windmill, a wind-wheel mounted on a main shaft and carryingrotatory vanes,

a sprocket drive between the main shaft and the vanes, and canelikeengaging means between the main shaft and the sprockets whereby thesprockets and therewith the said vanes may be moved to and held ininoperative position.

3. In a windmill, a wind-wheel mounted on a main sha it and carryingrota tory vanes. a stationary sleeve mounted on the main shalt, gearspivotally mounted on the stationary sleeve, another gear firmly mountedon the main shaft to transmit the motion "from the shaft to thefirst-named gears, au other la r turuahly mounted on the stationary sleve operatively engaged with the tirstnamet'l gears, a second sleevetinrnably and shi-itahly mounted on the stationary sleeve, and asprocket-wheel-earrying sleeve turnably and shi'ltably mounted on thelast:- nained sleeve, the second and third-nanuul SlGEfVtlr? having*am-like inter-engagements whereby the sprocket and thereby said vanescan be moved to and held in inoperative position.

in testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname.

JOHN OTOOLE.

